James May Buying A BMW i3 REx

Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are certifiable car nuts with garages packed full with classic and modern vehicles that are the envy of all. With all that money and celebrity, the Top Gear hosts can have just about any car they want, and it speaks volumes that James May is buying a BMW i3 REx.

May, or “Captain Slow” as his co-hosts like to call him, tends to be the odd-man out to Hammond’s automotive emotion and Clarkson’s affinity for acceleration. May tends to be the host exploring futuristic vehicles, like the Honda FCX Clarity, or the self-driving military trucks built by Oshkosh. In a radio interview with the BBC, May revealed that he’s in line to buy a range-extended BMW i3. Why?

“I sort of want to be part of the ‘experiment’. I don’t know what the answer is — or if a car like the i3 is the long term future of the car,” May said. “It’s not that small. It’s actually quite roomy inside. It’s almost a small people carrier.”

He went on to say that he thinks electric motors are the ideal way to propel vehicles, but charging and storage remain obstacles to overcome before widespread adoption of EVs. With one of the best-known automotive icons of this century an admitted buyer, BMW has achieved something of a publicity coup. How many other Top Gear fans are suddenly checking out the rear-drive, quite-quick BMW i3 based on May’s mention of it?

Related

About the Author

Christopher DeMorro A writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs, Chris can be found wrenching or writing -- otherwise, he's running, because he's one of those crazy people who gets enjoyment from running insane distances.